Gluttony: A Dictionary for the Indulgent
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ADJECTIVE: Referring to anything extreme or fanatical.
rampant
(RAM-punt)
ADJECTIVE: Widespread; out of control.
rapacious
(ruh-PAY-shus)
ADJECTIVE: Greedy; predatory.
rapacity
(ruh-PASS-ih-tee)
NOUN: Greed.
rapture
(RAP-shur)
NOUN: A state of euphoria or bliss; ecstasy.
ravenous
(RAV-uh-nuhs)
ADJECTIVE: Extremely hungry; greedy.
relish
(REL-ish)
VERB: To greatly enjoy something. Relish can also be used as a noun in reference to a moment of great enjoyment.
repress
(ree-PRESS)
VERB: Subdue; surpress.
revelry
(REV-el-ree)
NOUN: A noisy celebration that often includes excessive eating, drinking, and frivolity.
rife
(rahyf)
ADJECTIVE: Widespread and in abundant supply; endemic.
robust
(roh-BUST)
ADJECTIVE: Strong and rich in flavor or smell.
Robert’s discernable palate and lack of tact are a terrible pairing—especially for the kitchen staff—as he will send back any dish lacking ROBUST flavor.
rotund
(roh-TUND)
ADJECTIVE: Rounded or plump.
Covetousness is a sort of mental gluttony, not confined to money, but greedy of honor and feeding on selfishness.
—NICHOLAS CHAMFORT
S
I think it’s important
to encourage gluttony
in all its formats.
—LYDIA LUNCH
sake
(SAH-kee)
NOUN: An alcoholic Japanese beverage made from fermented rice.
sangria
(sang-GREE-uh)
NOUN: A Spanish drink made of wine and fruit.
sapid
(SAP-id)
ADJECTIVE: Having a strong and agreeable taste.
That portly fellow eats in such haste that it does not matter whether the food is SAPID or even fully cooked.
sated
(SEYT-ed)
ADJECTIVE: To be full or satisfied.
satiate
(SEY-shee-eyt)
VERB: To satisfy one’s hunger; to indulge a person or thing.
satisfaction
(sat-iss-FAK-shuhn)
NOUN: The fulfillment of a need or desire or the feeling that accompanies that; contentment.
savor
(SEY-vuhr)
VERB: To enjoy something in an unhurried manner so as to let the experience last longer; relish.
When it comes to fowl straight off the rotisserie, Benjamin chooses to SAVOR each succulent bite, pulling the meat slowly from the bone and chewing each mouthful slowly.
scoff
(skawf)
VERB: Scoff can mean to either show disdain for a person, thing, or idea or to eat one’s food in a very quick and voracious manner.
self-centered
(self-SEN-tuhrd)
ADJECTIVE: To only be concerned with one’s own selfish needs.
self-indulgence
(self-in-DUL-juhnts)
NOUN: To spoil oneself; to show a lack of self-
control when it comes to indulging one’s desires and passions.
selfish
(SELF-ish)
ADJECTIVE: Concerned with one’s own needs and passions or behaving in a way that indicates you are only concerned with yourself.
shameless
(SHEYM-lis)
ADJECTIVE: Feeling a lack of embarrassment or humiliation in a situation where societal norms would call for it; unashamed.
shattered
(SHAT-erd)
ADJECTIVE: Most often used to describe something that has been broken into pieces, shattered can also describe someone who is drunk.
Sisyphean
(sis-uh-FEE-en)
ADJECTIVE: Endless work or labor, though often without a purpose.
slake
(sleyk)
VERB: To satisfy an appetite for something, particularly a desire for an alcoholic beverage.
slobber
(SLOB-er)
VERB: To drool or let saliva or some other liquid run from one’s mouth.
While it’s always polite to thank someone who has prepared a meal for you—SLOBBERING in anticipation is not the best way of going about offering your appreciation.
smashed
(smasht)
ADJECTIVE: Extremely drunk.
Man is the only animal which esteems itself rich in proportion to the number and voracity of its parasites.
—GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
snack
(snack)
VERB: To eat a small amount of food in between regular meals; as a noun, a snack is a small amount of food you eat.
soak up
(sohk up)
VERB: The phrase really means to absorb something but is used more informally in reference to excessive drinking.
sop
(sop)
VERB: To dip or soak a piece of food in a liquid; absorb.
Once he cleaned all the food off of his plate, he used a piece of bread to SOP up the remaining juices of the steak.
spendthrift
(SPEND-thrift)
NOUN: One who spends money in an extravagant, squandering manner.
spendy
(SPEN-dee)
ADJECTIVE: Expensive.
splurge
(splurj)
VERB: To indulge in an extravagant manner.
spoil
(spoyl)
VERB: To taint or ruin something; the adjective form “spoiled” means to no longer be edible because of decay.
spree
(spree)
NOUN: A period marked by some sort of self-indulgent behavior, from shopping to drinking.
squander
(SKWON-der)
VERB: To spend or diminish something in a wasteful manner.
starving
(STAR-ving)
ADJECTIVE: Extremely hungry; ravenous.
stocky
(STOK-ee)
ADJECTIVE: Being broad and somewhat overweight.
stomach
(STUHM-ick)
VERB: To tolerate something.
stout
(stowt)
ADJECTIVE: Refers to a somewhat heavy person. As a noun, it describes a very strong and dark type of beer.
stuffed
(stuhft)
ADJECTIVE: Filled with something, or the feeling of being completely full.
A collective sigh came from the table as they all sat there STUFFED from the holiday feast.
suds
(suhdz)
NOUN: Slang word for beer.
sumptuous
(SUMP-choo-us)
ADJECTIVE: Luxurious or lavish.
superfluous
(soo-PER-floo-uss)
ADJECTIVE: In excess of what is needed; unnecessary.
surfeit
(SUR-fit)
NOUN: So much of something as to make one bored or sick; as a verb, surfeit means to overindulge or give somebody an excessive amount of something.
sweet tooth
(SWEET tooth)
NOUN: A fondness for candy or other sweets.
swig
(swig)
NOUN: A large swallow of a beverage, particularly alcohol. As a verb, it means to swallow a beverage down quickly.
Drunk and merry, the old man haphazardly wandered down the sidewalk, SWIGGING from a bottle and singing to anyone he bumped into.
swinish
(SWYN-ish)
ADJECTIVE: Suggestive of swine; hoggish.
sybarite
(SIB-uh-rahyt)
NOUN: One who devotes his or her life to the pursuit of pleasure; sensualist.
The chief beginning of evil is goodness in excess.
—MENANDER
T
Take heed of a gluttonous curiosity to feed on many things, lest the greediness of the appetite of thy memory spoil the digestion thereof.
—THOMAS FULLER
take a drop
(teyk a drop)
VERB: To drink alcohol; quaff.
thirst
(thurst)
NOUN: A dry mouth or throat that leads to the desire for a drink; any insistent desire.
Even though the couple simply lied in the sun all day, exerting no energy, they came back to the house with an insatiable THIRST.
titanic
(tie-TAN-ic)
ADJECTIVE: Having extraordinary strength, size, or power; colossal.
toss back
(toss bak)
VERB: To drink or guzzle a beverage, particularly an alcoholic one.
treat
(treet)
NOUN: An object or service—such as food or a massage—that is given as a reward, particularly when it’s a surprise.
When you put no limit on your indulgences, there really is no such thing as a TREAT.
trencherman
(TREN-chur-man)
NOUN: A person with a big appetite; a big eater.
tubby
(TUB-ee)
ADJECTIVE: Chubby or overweight.
U
In general, mankind,
since the improvement of cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires.
—BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
uncalled-for
(uhn-KAWLD-for)
ADJECTIVE: Not called for; unwarranted or unnecessary.
uncontrollable
(un-kon-TROHL-uh-buhl)
ADJECTIVE: Not able to be controlled or repressed; out of control.
Michael realized his need to drink had become UNCONTROLLABLE when every moment of every day was spent thinking about his next drink.
undue
(un-DOO)
ADJECTIVE: Unwarranted or unjustfied; uncalled-for.
unending
(un-END-ing)
ADJECTIVE: Without end; never-ending.
unflagging
(un-FLAG-ing)
ADJECTIVE: Unwavering; untiring.
uninhibited
(un-in-HIB-ih-ted)
ADJECTIVE: Without inhibitions or restraint; unrestrained.
unlimited
(un-LIM-ih-ted)
ADJECTIVE: Without limits or restrictions; infinite.
The manor’s wine cellar boasted a seemingly UNLIMITED number of vintages, with bottles lining the walls as far as the eye could see.
unnecessary
(un-NESS-uh-sayr-ee)
ADJECTIVE: Describes something that is not necessary or needed.
unrelenting
(un-ree-LENT-ing)
ADJECTIVE: Describes something that does not give up or weaken; insistent.
unreserved
(un-ree-ZIRVD)
ADJECTIVE: Without restrictions or reservations; frank.
unrestrained
(un-ree-STREYND)
ADJECTIVE: Without restraints or controls; uninhibited.
unrestricted
(un-ree-STRIK-ted)
ADJECTIVE: Without restrictions or hindrances; unhampered.
unsatisfied
(un-SAT-iss-fiyd)
ADJECTIVE: Not satisfied or pleased; discontented.
unwarranted
(un-WOR-uhn-ted)
ADJECTIVE: Not warranted or justified; undeserved.
urge
(erj)
NOUN: A strong need or inclination; as a verb, to urge is to strongly suggest or advise someone to act in a particular way.
Even when he could feel his stomach becoming full, there was still an URGE inside Henry to keep eating, to clean his plate of every last delicious morsel.
V
Bad men live to eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink in order to live.
—SOCRATES
viand
(VAHY-und)
NOUN: A piece of food or the pieces of food that make up a meal; a delicious dish.
volition
(vo-LISH-un)
NOUN: A conscious choice; the act of expressing one’s free will.
voluminous
(vuh-LOO-mih-nuss)
ADJECTIVE: Having great volume or capacity; large.
voluptuary
(vuh-LUP-shoo-er-ee)
NOUN: One who devotes his or her life to luxury and sensual pleasures.
A definite VOLUPTUARY, Gretta made certain that any of the food she was served sated all of her senses.
voracious
(vor-AY-shuss)
ADJECTIVE: Extremely hungry or enthusiastic—about eating or some other activity; insatiable.
A true gourmand may be able to satisfy his hunger, but he always remains VORACIOUS, looking for that next great meal.
voracity
(vor-ASS-ih-tee)
NOUN: Gluttony or greed.
W
want
(want)
VERB: To have a desire or need for something.
watering hole
(WOT-er-ing HOHL)
NOUN: A bar or other location where people gather to drink and be social.
Dennis stumbled out from his favorite WATERING HOLE full of piss and vinegar—and close to a dozen pints—he was ready to take on the world.
wastrel
(WAY-strel)
NOUN: An insulting word for a wasteful person; spendthrift.
weakness
(WEEK-nes)
NOUN: Lacking in strength or power; weakness can be used in reference to a person or thing that one cannot resist.
The glutton castaway, the drunkard in the desert, the lecher in prison, they are the happy ones. To hunger, thirst, lust, every day afresh and every day in vain, after the old prog, the old booze, the old whores, that’s the nearest we’ll ever get to felicity, the new porch and the very latest garden.
—SAMUEL BECKETT
wolf
(woolf)
VERB: To eat something very quickly and in a greedy manner.
Watching the soldiers in the mess hall eat was almost like viewing feeding time at the zoo; they hardly came up for air as they WOLFED down meat and vegetables and pasta and anything else that crossed their plates’ paths.
Y and Z
yearning
(YURN-ing)
NOUN: A very strong want or desire for something, particularly something that is likely out of one’s reach.
Beyond any thirst or hunger he ever felt before, Victor had an intense YEARNING to indulge in his favorite meal right before he was put to death.
yen
(yehn)
NOUN: A strong urge or longing for something.
zealot
(ZEL-ut)
NOUN: One who has an excessive passion for something; fanatic.
zealous
(ZEL-us)
ADJECTIVE: Extremely enthusiastic and full of zeal.
zest
(zest)
NOUN: Enjoyment or enthusiasm; gusto.
zymurgy
(ZIE-mur-jee)
NOUN: The scientific study of fermentation in brewing processes.
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